One of my favorite movies of all time, Something’s Gotta Give, staring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton will keep you rolling with laughter from start to finish.  It will also stun you with things you never thought you’d say and a few tears. Whether you like the movie or not,  the English Manor styled beach house decor is one to be admired…sheer elegance, clean lines and perfection.  You can have this look too!

I love it that the main character, Erica Berry, surrounded herself with a collection of one of the things she loved most – white rocks in glass jars throughout the house mixed with a collage of books. The whole design of the home bespoke to things Erica loved and collected over time that tailored to her life as a screenwriter.  We should all surround ourselves with the things we love!

In the designer world, this home is the most loved and talked about interior in the business and one of my favorites as well.  Oftentimes, clients will come to me and request I give them a certain look.  Since this home is such a popular favorite, I want to share the secrets to getting this look.

As our leading lady would say, “Oscar, please!!!”  The blue and white rug look-alike in the family room can be found at Restoration Hardware!  The actual rug came from The Rug Loft DhurrieRug, but the look can be created with a Ben Soleimani Flatweave Pinstripe Rug.

The lounge chairs in the family room are also spectacular.  They have a clean look with a cozy feel that says, “I want to spend the rainy day – or any day for that matter – inside!”  A Pottery Barn Carlisle upholstered armchair will do the trick.

If you’ll look towards the back of the family room photo, you won’t be able to miss the elegant candle holders that boast from the foyer table.  You can get the look at LazySusan-Candleholder.

]]> http://sinteriordesignblog.com/2012/04/25/101-designer-secrets-19-21-and-22/ Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:11:07 +0000 Suzanne Lasky http://sinteriordesignblog.com/2012/04/25/101-designer-secrets-19-21-and-22/ 101 Designer Secrets–#19, #20 and #22

The May issue of House Beautiful magazine has a 4 page spread of 101 Designer Secrets.  We read them and decided to share along with some commentary.  Not all 101 will be shared, but you can click on the link above to HB, or subscribe to their hard copy magazine to read them all if you wish to.  Here are some related to bathroom design.

#19: Never use a sconce over a mirror in the bathroom–it will cast unflattering shadows across the face.  Sconces that flank the mirror will give  a more realistic and flattering light-Ron Southern

Commentary:

Yes, yes, yes.  I am endlessly trying to eradicate the world of light bars or recessed lights in bathrooms over mirrors for this reason.  While that is true, there are instances where the architecture will not allow for sconces to be placed flanking a mirror.  Here is one example of what S Interior Design did to work around that issue.  The light is a flexible track mounted to the electrical box above the mirror and curved to flank the mirror.

#21: I recommend a height of 36″ for a bathroom vanity instead of the standard 30″.  It’s much more ergonomic and comfortable all around – Jason Bell

Commentary:

This is absolutely the  truth unless of course you are 5’0″ tall.   We always use a 36″ high vanity unless height of the user dictates other wise.  In shared bathrooms with one partner being extra tall, we have even installed 42″ high vanities.

# 22:  Instead of a towel bar, mount 5 robe hooks 68″ high for towels and robes-Robert Stilin

Commentary:

 We very often recommend using hooks instead of towel bars.  Sometimes the functional needs and space dictate that a combination of the two be used.  How annoying is it to have to reach far out of the shower to reach a towel bar mounted 2-3 feet away?  Absolutely add the hooks!  Hooks mounted in a bathroom at child friendly heights are also a good idea to keep towels off the floor in bathrooms kids will be using.

SECRET #4:  

The hang up–where to hang my artwork?  I’ve found that 63″ on center above the floor is a perfect viewing height for most pieces-Hunter Kaiser

Commentary by S Interior Design-

It is definitely one of the most common faux pas —hanging the artwork too high on a wall.  If the person doing the hanging is 6′-3″ their perspective is different from someone who is 5′-5″.  This is a good rule of thumb to begin with, 63″ above the floor.  Variables to consider include whether the art is above a piece of furniture and the height of that furniture.

When the art is not being hung above a piece of furniture, the guideline changes.  I like to ‘own the wall visually’ if that is the only element being placed.  Then lower placement and stacked art work higher on the wall often makes more sense.

This artwork is 78"x78" and the ceiling is 12'-0" high

SECRET #5

When you are hanging a series of pictures together, keep the gap between them 2 to 2 1/2″ to really utilized the wall space, and keep a minimum of 9″ between the art and the tops of sofas and chairs-Milly De Cabrol

Commentary by S Interior Design-

Agree and then a small disagree.  Yes to the gap between pieces of art being hung together, but we generally keep the space between the art and tops of sofas and chairs to 7″.  Again, style of the furniture, height of the ceiling and the composition of the art being hung are variables to be considered.

Summary-

There are good rules of thumb but all situations should be evaluated as unique to determine the best way to hang and display your artwork.